Branching into chapters: The treasure troop: Mr. Summerling's secret code by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Tim Budgen

 Marly is contemplating a long, boring summer. Her best friend Aubrey has moved to Chicago and it's hard to make new friends when she's still wearing a patch for her amblyopia, even though she's going to be a fourth grader next year! Assuming anyone could replace Aubrey, her best-ever friend. Still, she's intrigued when she finds out their elderly neighbor, Mr. Summerling, has died and left her - and two other kids - a mysterious treasure. But before they can split it up, they'll have to follow the clues!

As Marly, Sai, and Isla crack the codes and discover the clues, they learn more about each other and discover that Mr. Summerling is right - sometimes the best treasure isn't silver or gold. The story ends with a satisfying conclusion, a hint of more adventures to come, and a solid friendship between the three. Marly and Isla appear white, Sai is southeast Asian and the two girls enjoy discovering new foods at his house. Isla reveals a serious bee allergy later in the story and Sai is a little stereotyped as the one boy in their group, since he's always moving and active. There's a little reflection from each of the characters - Marly is worried how other kids will respond to her eye patch, Sai is worried what they'll think about his family's tiny house at the back of their store.

Simple black and white illustrations are a cheerful accompaniment to the story and draw readers along. Butler is an excellent mystery writer for young readers and this is a fun choice to add to her previous series. I only wish I had discovered it earlier, since I've bought all my paperback chapters for the year. It does look like it might be only a quartet, since the title published in October is "The final treasure."

Verdict: Whether you are looking to update your beginning chapter mysteries or add to them, this is a solid addition with a nice touch of diversity.

ISBN: 9780593094822; Published January 2021 by Penguin Workshop; Borrowed from another library in my consortium